Time-lock



(No Model.) 2 SheetsSheet 2.

' G. W. ADAMS.

TIME LOGK.

No. 454,897. Patented June 30,1891.

. accidentally before the hour arrives for open UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE IV. ADAMS, OF MALDEN, MASSAOHUSETTS.

TIME-LOCK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 454,897,dated June 30, 1891.

Application filed I'ebruary 9,1891. Serial No. 380,711. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE W. ADAMS, of Malden, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Time-Locks, of which the following is a specification.

The main objection to the ordinary timelock is that should the time mechanism stop ing the safe it is impossible to open the safe without drilling into or forcing the lock in some way. Various electric appliances have been devised for the purpose of opening a safe under such circumstances; but, so far as I am aware, in all these prior devices the electric mechanism has been connected with the dial or some other part which must be rotated or otherwise moved a given distance before the bolt can be moved and the lock can be opened. This dial or other part, however,

can only be moved as fast as will be allowed by the escapement or some other controlling part whose motions are correspondingly timed with the time mechanism. It is evident, therefore, that if, for example, the time mechanism stopped five hours before the time at which the safe was to have been opened it would take the electric appliances of such look about five hours to bring the part into such relation to each other that the safe could be opened, because in these prior devices the dial or other part upon the position of which the possibility of unlocking the safe depends can only be moved at a regular rate of speed, whether its motion be imparted to it by the spring or by the electric motor, which regular speed corresponds with the regular speed of the dial, this being regarded as an important feature in all prior locks of the kind referred to of which I have knowledge. In certain locks there is also an electric mechanism to operate a withdrawing mechanism which withdraws the bolt in case, owing to an explosion, for example, the dial has been disabled. In these locks the withdrawing mechanism is adjusted to be run by an electric motor some considerable time before the bolt is seized by it to be withdrawn, and in these locks there is also an escapement which controls the motion of the electric motor, so that a long time will be necessarily occupied in making the connection with and retracting the bolt.

ment or speed-controlling mechanism, it being so connected with such electric device that it will take its motion directly from it and withdraw the bolt in a time depending not upon the amount of time the time mechanism still has to move or upon any other time-controlling apparatus, but upon the possible speed of the electric device. It is evident, therefore, that the motion of the electric motor need only be fora very limited time, depending solely upon the space through which it is to move the bolt or dog. The only danger with such a device is that a current sufficient to operate the motor may be started through it and the safe opened by some unauthorized person. To guard against this I propose to use an automatic circuitbreaker operated by the time mechanism and of such construction that an electric current of sufficient duration to operate the motor cannot be established so long as the time mechanism is running at its normal speed. It will be seen, therefore, that a necessary element of my invention is a bolt or dog of some kind which shall control the safe-bolts and which,while it will be ordinarily operated by the time mechanism, is so far independent of it that it may be thrown instantly by a suitable electric motor, which need move only for a sufficient distance and during a sufficient length of time to withdraw the bolt without reference to any other factor. It is alsoevident that the kind of electric motor is immaterial and that some form of circuit-breaker which can preventan operative current from reaching the motor while the time mechanism is moving at its normal speed, but which shall act as a circuit-closer when the time mechanism is stopped or runs abnormally slow, is a desirable addition. A convenient form of device embodying all these requirements is shown in the drawings.

Figure 1 is an elevation showing the dial of an ordinary time-lock, together with the bolt or dog controlled thereby, the rest of the ordinary time mechanism being also indicated and the front plate of the lock being broken away so as to disclose a mechanism embodying my improvement. Fig. 2 is an end elevation, and Fig. 3 shows a modification.

A is the usual casing containing the time lock mechanism.

B is the time-lock bolt. This bolt may be operated either by the dial 0, which is con.- nected with the ordinary time-lock mechanism C' and is'provided with a pin 0, shown in contact with a lug 19, forming part of the bolt 13, or by means of the pinion D, suitably geared by gear-wheel D and pinion D to the shaft D of the rotating armature E of an electric motor F. This pinion D acts upon a rack B sliding in an elongated slot 13 in the bolt B, the rack being located in the slot, as shown, sothat a motion of the pinion D in the direction of the arrow will draw the bolt, while a motion of the dial in the direction of the arrow will also operate the bolt, these two movements of the bolt being entirely independent of each other for the purposes described. The bolt B is held in place by straps b.

The motor is electrically connected with a circuit-breaker of peculiar construction cated within the safe, and which will now be described.

G is a crown spiral cam mounted on a vertical shaft -g, from which it is insulated. Above this cam and resting upon it are two rods H 11, provided with contact-points h h, each of which is insulated from the rest of its rod. These rods are exactly alike, being mounted in a frame J J. Each is provided with a pawl H held in contact by means of a spring 1-1 with a ratchet H mounted on the same shaft with a gear H in mesh with a pinion H carrying a fan H. Each rod is provided with a spring H mounted between the under side of frame J, in which the upper ends of these rods slide, and an adjustable collar H as shown, each spring being arranged to give its rod a downward throw. This crown-cam G is operated by means of a train of gears connected with the clock mechanism as follows: Upon the main arbor K is mounted a gear K, which is in mesh with the pinion K on the same shaft with gear K which is in mesh with pinion K. On the shaft with pinion K is mounted a gear with K in mesh with the pinion K. The crowngear K is in mesh with pinion K and carries in its shaft a pinion K which meshes with gear K on shaft g.

To one of the contact-points 71. of the circuit-breaker is connected the wire Z, which runs to a generator M. From thence a wire 111. runs to the switch N, as shown, and from the key or switch the wire 0% runs to the motor F, and from the motor F the wire f runs to the contact-point h. It will be seen that the crown-cam G is constantly in motion, given to it by means of the time mechanism of the lock, and that when this time mechanism becomes inoperative from any cause this crowncam will stop. While it is in operation it will raise each of the rods H H in turn, its cam-surface lifting each rod in turn until it reaches the highest point, when the rod will drop toward the lowest point, its drop being caused by its spring H hen it drops, however, by means of the pawl H and connections it will cause the fan-wheel H to rotate,

this fan being so proportioned in size and shape with reference to the rod and thespring H which actuatesit, and is so geared to the ratchet H that the rod can only drop at a given rate of speed. Hence it will be seen that before one of the rods-say H-having passed over the top of the cam and being in the air, has touched the bottom of the cam, the second rod H will have started on its downward throw. As these two rods never touch the cam at the same-time while the cam is in motion, it is evident that an electric circuit which can only bemade through the cam and these two rods can never be made so long as the time mechanism is normally operative. WVhen the time mechanism has become inoperative, however, the two rods settle down upon the cam, thereby making an electric contact, so that when the switch Nis thrown a circuit will be established and the motorF charged so that it will operate the armature E, and by means of the train of gears throw the bolt. In Fig. 3 I show a modification in which the pinion D of the armature E is geared to a Wheel P, carrying a pin 1), which engages with a lug p on the bolt.

It is obvious that with some motors a prolonged and comparatively heavy current being necessary to operate them the rods H H may both be allowed to come in contact with the cam G at the same instant, provided that contact is not prolonged until the motor has been started. Under such circumstances the purpose of my invention will be carried out, my invention requiring the use of such an automatic circuit-breaker as will prevent the bolt from being thrown by the use of an electric current, whilethe time mechanism-is normally operative and will allow the electric currentto be utilized to open the look as soon as the time mechanism has stopped; but my invention also relates, as has been stated above, to such an immediate connection of the motor with the bolt that when the time mechanism stops or runs abnormally slow the bolt maybe thrown rapidly by the motor without the intervention of the time-dial or any other intermediate speed-reducing mechanism, and as the only work of this motor is to withdraw the bolt it .is evident that its moof motors or other electrical cal combination-locks, &c.

What I claim as my invention is 1. In a time-lock, in combination, a lock bolt or dog, a time-movement connected therewith to with draw said bolt, and an electric motor having a restricted and predetermined movement and also located to withdraw said bolt, but independent of said time-movement, all arranged together substantially as described, and adapted for the purpose set forth.

2. In a time-lock, a bolt and two bolt-moving mechanisms of the kind described, one mechanical and the other electrical, all con nected in the manner described, said mechanical mechanism being capable of operation irrespective of the electrical mechanism, but said electric mechanism being inoperative engines, electriwhile said mechanical niechanismis in operation, all as set forth.

3. In combination with the bolt or dog of a time-lock, an electric motor and an automatic circuit-breaker in electrical connection therewith arranged together, substantially as described, whereby when the time-lock mechan- 4. The circuit-breaker above described, consisting of the rotating spiral cam G and springcontrolled rods H H, in combination with means, substantially as described, whereby the fall of said rod is delayed, all as set forth.

5. In a time-lock, in combination, a lockbolt or dog, a time-movement connected therewith to withdraw said bolt, and an electric motor also immediately connected With-said bolt, but independent of said time-movement, all arranged together substantially as described,and adapted for the purposes set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name this 7th day of February, A. D. 1891.

GEORGE W. ADAMS.

itnesses:

EVA A. GUILD, GEORGE O. G. COALE. 

